2019 BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Sponsored by AgriLife Studios, National Cotton Council of America and WATT Global Media

THURSDAY, APRIL 112:00 to 3:00 P.M.

Business TransformationBonin Bough

What can large brands teach small start-ups?

Bonin Bough will share his experiences working with small businesses as the host of CNBC's “Cleveland Hustles,” the hit show created by NBA superstar LeBron James and Maverick Carter, James’ business partner. Find out the real stories behind the businesses featured on the show and hear valuable lessons you can take from the entrepreneurs who competed for investments and the executives who coached them.

Come and let Bough, a 2013 inductee of the Advertising Hall of Fame, inspire you to apply growth-hacking techniques from “Cleveland Hustles” to your own work. His insights will fuel ideas so you and your marketing can rise to the top.

A Story About Compelling StorytellingGuy Fish, Ursa Major

Storytelling is one of those marketing buzzwords that gets so overused it loses real meaning. This session will create meaning by discussing the How, What, When and, most importantly, Why of storytelling. In the process, you’ll be empowered to:

Show that storytelling has a monetary impact (Science says it does, so it must be true!)

Align the timing of your stories with consumers’ openness to your message

Define what your core story is and how to make it come to life

Create a structure that gives your organization a way to link your content tools, consumer segments and analytics

Guy Fish is the Founder of Ursa Major, a marketing strategy agency. He has led customer experience exploration, product launches, cross-cultural planning and technology platform strategy for clients like Bayer, MasterCard and FedEx. In sharing his experience with large agencies and international companies, as well as his expertise in behavioral economics and communications planning, he’ll help you craft powerful stories that can get your brand where it needs to be.

How to Maximize Your Marketing Budget During a Tight Ag Economy

You may have heard this story before: We are in a down economy, sales are below projections, revenue has dropped, costs have to be cut...

The marketing budget is often the first thing cut when times are tough. That’s a reality faced by many ag marketers, especially given the current state of the ag economy. But it’s not as easy as just cutting media dollars. In truth, it affects all elements of marketing from advertising to digital to PR and everything in between – no matter if you are an agribusiness, agency, media publisher or nonprofit.

Maybe you’re dealing with this situation for the first time or maybe you’ve been down this road before and it never seems to get better. Wherever you find yourself, it is time to reassess your objectives, strategies and measurements of success. You will hear from three experienced ag marketers who have fought budget battles and lived to tell the tale. They will share how to make the most of your budget and succeed during a tight ag economy.

MODERATOR:

Deron Johnson, FLM Harvest

PANELISTS:

Jenna Oesch, Bayer

Ashley Fischer, Becks Hybrids

Additional panelists to be named.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 113:30 to 4:30 P.M.

Creating Communication MagicVinh Giang

There is very real magic in the ability to communicate at extraordinary levels. It allows people to shift mindsets, close deals, build relationship bridges, overcome objections and connect in ways that foster leadership, teamwork and exponential growth. In this non-conventional, no-box-at-all workshop, Keynote Speaker Vinh Giang will pull back the curtain and show you how to be that kind of captivating communicator.

With years of innovative study in theatre, arts and speaking, Giang shares lessons that go beyond just learning to communicate with each other as human beings. He will offer you tools, skills and strategies to build and strengthen self-confidence, put fear in the rear-view, flow with clarity in your words, deliver with authority and rise above the noise of the crowd to stand out as a leader.

Embark on a journey of transformation for yourself and your team and discover the secrets to magical messaging.

Career Growth in a Changing WorldAmy Thomas, Robert Half

It seems as though change is the only constant and the pace of change gets ever faster. Advancing your career means staying ahead of the curve to adapt with the rapid changes that occur. Join Amy Thomas of Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm, for this interactive session which will cover:

How the job market is evolving

How skill level demand is changing for entry level and mid-level professionals

Tips for career development

What hiring managers look for

The competitiveness of the job market

With more than 15 years of experience supporting Fortune 500 companies, Thomas will use her expertise in talent acquisition, performance management and leadership development to shine a light on trends that can help illuminate your path to success.

Digital Marketing – Trends and Value

MODERATOR:

Dan Curran, Powerpost

PANELISTS:

Erik Wennerod, The Sandbox Agency

Steven Fischer, Bader Rutter

Anna Nelson, broadhead

Chris Hayes, HLK

It's not easy to navigate the ever-evolving world of digital marketing. Let industry experts guide you through some of today's most significant tends including UX, retargeting, chatbots and marketing automation. You'll also get tips for assessing the value of digital marketing efforts and finding ROI in digital space.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 129:00 to 10:00 A.M.

The demands on global agriculture are increasing every day. The growing population, input costs, sustainability and food production challenges continue to make meeting current needs and planning for the future more complex. As people feel overwhelmed, can new technology step in to help?

In this session, Cyndee Smiley of John Deere will present a case study showing how the company is creating technology and utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to maximize crop yields, better food production and farm more efficiently. By reducing input costs with AI, they are finding ways to do what humans can’t on their own. Get insights from John Deere’s AI experience and learn how all this is communicated to the ag industry, the tech industry and the farmer. Come ready to understand the future of ag so you’re prepared for the future of agri-marketing.

The brands experiencing the greatest success online have a strong content strategy. This session will teach you how to best create, curate and use content like blog articles and videos to enhance search engine optimization, keep visitors on your website longer and drive more sales.

As President and Co-Founder of Blue Compass, Drew Harden has grown the company from a two-person start-up to Iowa's largest digital marketing agency. Learn from his work leading digital projects for clients like Spalding Sports Equipment, NAPA Auto Parts and the NFL. You’ll gain an understanding of how to establish a solid content marketing strategy, make web pages more attractive to search engines and boost engagement on Facebook and other social platforms using quality content.

There are trends in our society that are bigger than one industry, and staying ahead of them will be critical for your future success in ag. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has partnered with a number of leading research firms to examine these trends and their impact on the agriculture industry. Come to this presentation ready to hear about four major areas of impact that will likely have the biggest effect on our industry in North America.

Join Curt Blades of AEM and Doug Griffin of ag consulting firm Context Network for a look at a collection of commissioned research along with key original insights from executives and leaders from several global equipment companies. They will give you a better understanding of where we are and where we’re going to help you and your marketing find the right trajectory for moving forward.

Our Sustaining Partners

The nation's largest association for professionals in marketing and agribusiness.